Finally
by Zenzero
Summary: Jack doesn't know what to do anymore. His life is a mess. He feels lost, he hates his job - not to mention his sentimental life - and now even his holiday is ruined. One thing is clear: he's not happy, not yet. But as they say, life is unpredictable. NOTE: Some kind of AU(?), alternate ending and nosense.


.:.

 **'* _Finally_ *'**

 **...**

"...and according to recent studies, the place in which we find ourselves was, at one time, the center of artistic and cultural ferment. But it rarely knew peace, apparently. Ancient writings speak about a terrifying tyrant who ruled through fear for a long time. We still don't know anything about this man, except that he was compared to a full blown demon. They called him... "

The tourist guide's speech is interrupted by a tiny flash of light. "Excuse me!" he exclaims, "Photographs are not allowed here!"

The entire group of people turns around, looking for the culprit. Jack, with a camera in his hands and everybody's eyes fixed on him, immediately blushes. "I-I apologize! I didn't know..."

The tour guide interrupts him with an abrupt gesture of his hand, "Another photo and I'll have to ask you to leave, sir."

"I'm really sorry..."

"Let's continue the tour."

The tourist guide starts to talk about the city once again, taking a few steps toward the entrance of the old palace. The group follows him in an orderly manner. Jack stays behind, trying to put the camera back in its case. It's too bad, he had bought it just for the occasion.

"Unfortunately, is not allowed to enter the palace today because of renovation work. The ancient writings I mentioned earlier also say that the palace in front of us was the ancient emperor's home. Not everybody's in agreement with this approximate translation. In fact, some archaeologists think t-"

As soon as Jack reaches the others, his cellphone starts to ring. Again, everyone turns to look at him - and the tourist guide is the one that gives him the most threatening look of all.

Jack, red in the face, mumbles another "Excuse me" and quickly moves away. He is going to put his cellphone to his ear, but it suddenly stops ringing. A few seconds later, he gets a text: ' _Where are you?_ '

Jack sighs when he reads the name of the sender. ' _I'm on vacation. Remember? That archaeological site which has opened recently_.'

He sends the message and waits. He can already imagine the face of his wife when she'll read the message. Jack can easily picture her in his mind while she's raising her eyes to the ceiling, shaking her head with a bored look. After all, she has never shared his passion for history and museums.

' _Interesting_ ' she replies after almost a minute. Even in a written text, the sarcasm is clear as if she's speaking out loud.

'I _wanted to remind you of our meeting with the_ _lawyer_ '. Another text, ' _Tomorrow_ , _ten_ _o'clock_ '. Another text, ' _Don't be late_ '

' _No problem_ ' writes Jack. Then he waits for an answer but it doesn't arrive. ' _It that it?_ ' he adds.

She finally writes back, ' _Yes Jack. Have fun_.'

There is something in those words that is annoying him. His fingers move by themselves as they write, ' _Enjoy yourself with your lover_ '. He deletes the text right away, replacing it with a much more mild ' _See you tomorrow_ '.

The cellphone's screen returns black and Jack can see his own reflection on it. He has a funeral face.

 _Great!_

He sighs and turns to the group of tourists, realizing they're already long gone. He could reach them, but he suddenly feels a strong need to be alone. Jack decides to take another road. After all, he isn't compelled to follow the tour. He walks among the ruins, looking around. Even with destroyed homes and thick vegetation, he can still perceive the ancient magnificent of the place. Jack even finds, engraved on a column, the symbol of those lands: a square with four lines.

Jack leaves that ruined buildings behind, finding himself in front of some kind of ceremonial altar. He read something about it - if he's correct, it was the place where the members of the imperial family married.

Jack doesn't want to walk anymore, so he sits on a rock looking at the landscape. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He would like to relax and enjoy the beautiful day, but he can't. Not now that his mind is filled with thoughts as sly as snakes.

First there's his family. Two loving parents who live in a distant country. Now that he's getting divorced, they seem more distant than ever.

Then, his wife. She's almost a stranger now, but even so Jack is unable to hate her. The fault is his, who thought he loved her and believed that she returned that love. He can't blame her for betraying him with another man. But even so, it hurts. Being betrayed by someone he trusted hurts him like hell.

And then, his life, in general. He doesn't have so many friends anymore; his lawyer is a vampire who is slowly draining his bank account; also, he literally hates his new job - but of course he couldn't still work in the same office with his wife; he _had_ to change.

Jack deeply sighs. He's always trying to show people he's strong. But the truth is that he can't take it anymore. He feels that he has failed as a son, as a husband and as a person. He would like to sleep and never wake up. He feels constantly as if something inside him is crushing his heart like a lemon. As if-

 _Is that a body?_

Jack blinks. Then gasps. _What in the-?!_

He rubs his eyes with his hands, then looks ahead again. But nothing has changed. There is someone lying on the ground about twenty feet from him;

and it has just _literally_ appeared out of nowhere!

His face has a slack jaw. He can't believe it. How...? Where...?!

Jaks has no idea, but he decides that it doesn't matter now. He stands up and runs ahead, reaching that person. He kneels and looks closer.

It's a girl. A young woman really. Her eyes are closed. Her body is still.

"Hey!" Jack exclaims, shaking her shoulder. Her skin is so terribly cold. "A-are you alright?"

Jack puts an arm behind her back, raising her head from the ground. It seems she's breathing; at least she's alive - she probably just fainted. Even so, he has no idea what to do. He looks around, hoping someone will come to help him, but he sees nobody around them.

Suddenly, he can hear a sound like a sigh. He quickly looks down. For a few seconds nothing happen. But then, her eyebrows draw. She slowly starts to open her eye.

Jack smiles with relief. Thank goodness. She's waking up now. She's fine!

 _She's naked!_

Jack freezes. His face flares up like a match. He turns his head so fast that he could swear he heard his neck creaking. "I-I am s-so so-sorry!" he gently lies her head down on the ground, then he takes off his jacket and, closing his eyes, drops it over her.

Why is she naked? Did anyone hurt her? He can only hope not. "It's fine. I... I-I'll call an- an ambulance!"

He pulls his cellphone out of the pocket of his jeans. Is about to dial the hospital when the phone vibrates in his palm. It's his wife.

Jack holds his breath, taken by surprise.

Why is she calling him? Why now? What should he do? Jack bites his lip.

He knows what to do, of course. He has to ignore the call and contact the hospital. It's easy, he has just to...

"Hello?"

 _Seriously, Jack?_!

He sighs, "Sorry, this is not a good time. I need the phone."

' _Well, I need you!_ ' she replies. Jack knows his wife, and he immediately understands that she has called him without a specific reason. She's probably angry, who knows why (Trouble in paradise with her new man, maybe?), and is just looking for a fight. ' _It's important_. '

"So is this. I have to call..."

'. _..your lawyer. Let me give you a little warning about tomorrow. Don't you try to claim ownership of the house!_ '

"Fine, as you wish." Jack mumbles, "Now excuse me, I must hang u- _W_ _ait what?! I_ am the one who bought the house!"

He can hear his wife's mocking laugh. ' _You think? Because I've just discovered that the signature on the purchase contract is not your_. '

"What are you talking about? I checked all the documents and..."

A movement distracts him. With the tail of his eye, Jack sees the girl try to get up from the ground. He remembers that this isn't a good time to argue with his wife.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow."

' _No, we won't. We'll talk about it right now!_ '

"I've something else to do now." Why is this conversation so difficult to close?

' _Do what? I'm sure you're just admiring one of those dinosaur skeletons you like so much._ '

"You don't understand..."

' _No,_ you _don't understand! Jack..._ '

"...Jack?"

Jack makes a little gasp. He turns his head. His breath catches in his throat when he finds the face of that unknown young woman only a heartbeat away from his. She's up on her knees now, with his jacket on her thighs. He makes an effort to not let his eyes slip lower that her chin.

She's obviously confused, but at first glance she seems alright. Her face is a bit pale. Her hair is messy. Her eyes are dark. Her lips are red. She's cute.

Maybe more than cute. _Not the time, Jack!_

"...Jack..." she repeated. Her voice sounds surprised. "Is that... you?"

"...um, yes?" he answers without thinking. How does she know his name?

He's about to ask her but ...

' _Jack!_ ' The voice on the other side of the phone pierces his ear like a needle. ' _What the-?! Is there a girl with you?!_ '

"No!" He responds instinctively, "I mean, yes, I-I mean... i-it's not like..."

' _I thought you went to a museum_.'

"In fact, I mean, no, it's an archaeological site."

' _I can't believe_ it!' she yells, her voice breathless, ' _We're not divorced yet, and you're already seeing someone else?!_ '

"WHA-?!" Jack opens his mouth to say something, but his voice get stuck in his throat like a herring-bone. He blushes. Then, he bites his lip. What is she talking about? _She's_ the one who cheated on him! He's not doing anything wrong. He should tell her this! He should...

"B-b-but no, t-that's not true!" says instead. Stupid, stupid Jack! Why is he justifying himself? "I-I was just-!"

He can feel the tip of two fingers touching his cheekbone. They are warm and thin. It's like taking the shock. "...Just..." he mumbles, but the rest of his words simply vanish in the air.

Jack looks back at the girl. She's looking at his clothes, his cellphone, his hair, and finally his eyes. "Is that _really_ you?"

That voice. Her eyes, her face... what is this sudden sense of nostalgia? "Well..."

"B-but why am I here?" She seems be talking more to herself than to Jack, now. "I was ... I had ... I had ceased to exist!"

"...what?!"

'. _..what? Yeah, what a liar you are, I can hear her voice!_ '

"Was it Aku? Is him back?"

"Who?"

' _Who?_ You _a_ _re a liar! That's incredible!_ '

"What's happened here?" she looks around, staring at the ruins around them. "Why is your home...?"

"My home?!"

' _Forget the house. Who is she?_ '

She's obviously delusional. Did she take drugs? Is she drunk? Whatever the problem is, Jack must call a doctor, or the police, or anyone else who could help her. He need to use his cell phone.

"Honey, please, can we post...?"

' _Don't call me Honey! Answer me!_ '

Jack bites his lip. He didn't want to call her that way. What on earth is wrong with him?

He closes his eyes trying to stop thinking. He has to, or he might lose his temper. What an absurd situation! Why can't he simply close this conversation? Why, despite everything, is he still hoping to be happy with his wife again? Jack sighs. Maybe he's stupid, he thinks. Or maybe he's just desperate.

' _Are you still there? Answer me, Jack!_ '

"Jack, answer me."

He opens his eyes. That girl is still looking at him. Her hand is still on his cheek, light as a feather.

He really would like to ask her how she knows his name. Or what her name is. "How do you feel?" he asks instead.

She has the look of a baby deer looking for her mom. "I don't know... I... don't understand what is happening..." she says.

Funny, Jack feels the same way. "I'm sorry. Now..."

Her hand on his cheek moves down to his chin and to his neck, giving him the softest caress he has ever received. "It doesn't matter."

She smiles. Jack doesn't have enough time to think about how lovely her smile is. A unknown, naked woman is hugging him now!

Her mouth comes to his ear. "It doesn't matter. I'm here. With you. I'm alive. I _exist_! ...Oh Jack!" her voice is broken by joyful sobs.

"I'm so happy."

Her lips feel like they're made of burning braces. However, Jack's frozen. His mind turns off. His heart is going to explode. He doesn't have the faintest idea of what's going on, and of course he doesn't know who this woman is. So why...

In the opposite ear, the one resting on the cell phone, his wife's voice is yelling in angry.

' _Oh, I'm_ sooo _happy too! Seriously, Jack, I can't believe it. You're a bastard! I'll get you for that! D_ _id you hear me?_ _I hate you, Jack!_ '

"I love you, Jack."

His wife says something else, but he doesn't understand what. Her voice seems to come from a thousand miles away.

This whole thing is absurd. Inappropriate. Impossible. Who cares?

The cellphone escapes from his hand and crashes to the ground. Is it broken? Who cares?

His wife and her lawyer will eat him alive tomorrow. Seriously, who cares?

A warm pair of lips settles against his and he feels happy.

 _Finally_ happy.

* * *

The End


End file.
